The Before Season Checklist

It’s coming. The signs of regular season are starting to appear. This week marked the end of the “early bird” pricing for hockey registration. And in our neck of the woods, this week was Conditioning Camp kickoff for our association. You know what that means, friends?

It means that regular season is right around the corner. Part of me doesn’t recognize this crazy hockey mom person that has taken over my body. I mean, on a good day I don’t enjoy being cold. And yet somehow, I start freezing in the middle of September every year and I’m mostly happy about it.

With the impending season in mind, it’s time to go through the before season check list. This year is going to be different for me because HockeyDad will be away on his annual boys camping trip during evaluations. Unless I get really lucky. But I don’t count on luck. So the checklist it is.

Now some of you don’t need this because your kids can’t get enough ice time and there is never a break. But for those of us that have had a minute to take a breath, the before season checklist is crucial.

So, my fellow hockeymoms, have you:

Located all the gear?

Everything from the elbow pads to the water bottles to the stick. Oh and fun tip: If you’re like me and hate having counter space consumed by water bottles, get a wine bottle holder and use that for storage. Counter space saved!

Has your player tried on their gear?

From head to toe. Then you can make a list of everything that doesn’t fit or needs to be replaced. Remember (because I always forget) to measure their stick to be sure it isn’t too short now. We made it halfway through the first month of hockey season last year before we realized that Boy #1 had outgrown his stick. Learn from my mistake.

Sharpened the skates?

If you’re anything like me, you had every intention of sharpening the skates before they were stored for the summer. Or maybe your player was on the ice all summer and needs a refresh before the season starts? Regardless, give the skates a check to see if they need sharpening before your player hits the ice.

Made a list of five dinners that can be made quickly and eaten at the rink?

Put this list on your fridge, keep it in your planner, make a note on your phone. And if at all possible, keep your fridge/pantry stocked with the ingredients to make at least two of these dinners at any given time. Because we know that the dinner rush is the real challenge.

Scheduled time to meal prep 10-20 breakfasts that you can stash in the freezer?

Believe me, this will save your sanity (and budget) for those 7am ice times. If there’s any way to make this a monthly occurrence, do it. If nothing else, it will simplify breakfast.

Made a list of five dinners that can be made ahead of time and eaten the minute you walk through the door?

Much like the above point, this goes to helping you on those nights where you don’t have to rush straight to the rink after school, but you do have to get dinner on the table in a hurry to get to the rink later.

If at all possible, done a summer purge/organize binge before the season starts?

If you are anything like me, this will have you starting the season feeling like you have your mess together. At least for a little while. Most of us go through a bit of a mad organization of all the things leading up to school anyway. The why you are doing it is not the important part. Getting it done is what matters. I also like to do a mini-version around Christmas. It’s mid-season and we get a bit of a break between Christmas and New Years. And it helps me organize myself for the back half of the season.

Checked your associations website lately?

Around this time of year is when I start checking in periodically for schedule updates. The month of September is always kind of up in the air for us, so I check in frequently to make sure I haven’t missed anything. Once the season starts and I am subscribed to the team schedules, I don’t have to check in as often. But I still do. It’s a sickness, I tell you.

I’ll be tackling this before season checklist this week and next. Boy #1 and Boy #2 are in hockey camp, so the gear will be in and out of the house. The Great Purge of 2018 is schedule for the week before school.

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Hi, I’m Stacey!

The only woman in a house of men. Shameless consumer of all forms of caffeine. Voracious reader. Wearer of many hats, though not literal hats. Those ones never fit the way they should. Read More…

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Amazon Affiliate Disclosure

The HockeyMom Chronicles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.ca